By Robert Scucci
| Updated 17 seconds ago

Low-budget sci-fi is the ultimate proving ground for filmmakers because if they don’t lean into their limitations, they’re dead in the water. When done right, we get films like Primer (2004), Coherence (2013), Empathy, Inc. (2018), and my new favorite comedy in this wheelhouse, 2014’s The Infinite Man. With a cast of three, no special effects to speak of, and what appears to be an abandoned motel serving as the film’s primary location, The Infinite Man is about as bare bones as it gets.

It’s a time travel story, but really about how a man’s insecurities catch up with him in the most unhinged way possible. He builds a device that he thinks will save his relationship and, through his own doing, makes everything infinitely worse for himself. It’s almost poetic how badly he screws everything up, and if you love a good comedy of errors that’s both low-budget and high-concept, The Infinite Man is exactly what you’re looking for.

You Can’t Control Everybody, Not Even Your Past Self

The plot of The Infinite Man is simple at first, but snowballs in complexity as it barrels through its second and third acts. Dean (Josh McConville) is on the verge of a nervous breakdown after his anniversary with Lana (Hanna Marshall) doesn’t exactly go as planned. The motel they stayed at the previous year is now abandoned, and all the activities Dean had in mind to woo his unenthusiastic partner never materialize.

Like clockwork, almost as if planned, Lana’s ex-boyfriend, Terry (Alex Dimitriades), shows up, shocks Dean with a cattle prod, and leaves with Lana. Dean is distressed about this for a number of reasons. Most importantly, his desire to control every minor detail is so intense that he doesn’t realize how unhappy Lana is. But what’s really grinding his gears is the fact that Lana only dated Terry, a self-proclaimed pole-vaulting legend, for two weeks several years earlier.

Broken by this turn of events, Dean locks himself in the motel for a year and builds a time machine that allows him to travel back to the day Lana left him, effectively giving himself a do-over. The machine works, and he’s able to interact with both his past self and the past version of Lana. His attempts to influence their behavior without being detected backfire immediately when he’s discovered, setting off a chain of events that results in multiple duplicates of himself, Lana, and even Terry, all of whom vaguely recall Dean’s meddling.

It gets to the point where present-day Dean forces one of the Lanas to wear an earpiece while speaking with another version of himself so he can tell her exactly what to say, convinced his influence will lead everybody toward the correct outcome. But every time Dean interferes, things continue to get worse, not only for him, but for everybody around him.

Sometimes It’s Just Best To Let It Go

Dean’s character in The Infinite Man is a fascinating study. He’s a brilliant inventor and clever as hell, but his personality is so grating that it’s hard to root for him. He makes too many assumptions about people, is far too insecure for his own good, and every motivation he has is fundamentally selfish. He got dumped for being a control freak, and his solution is to become an even bigger control freak.

As annoying as Dean is, that’s where all the humor comes from, so it’s a fair tradeoff. He constantly gets his ass handed to him by his own miscalculations, and when he finally has to interact with alternate versions of himself, he starts to realize that he’s the problem. His evolution across the film’s brief 85-minute runtime is beyond impressive because you start out hating the guy, but gradually grow to like him as he becomes more self-aware.

The Infinite Man is a brilliant example of what filmmakers like Hugh Sullivan can do with virtually no budget, a tight screenplay, and the right characters to bring a concept like this to life. If you’re a creator in any capacity, it should always be inspiring when somebody gets out there and makes something, limitations be damned.

As of this writing, you can stream The Infinite Man for free on Tubi.

Villains are some of the best parts of any given movie, and for good reason. A well-constructed villain acts as a foil to the heroes, either by showing them a dark reflection of what they could end up as, or by presenting a formidable obstacle that the hero must overcome to achieve their goals. The most iconic villains become staples of popular culture, representing the many faces of evil and standing as inspirations for storytellers to create their own brand of wickedness.

Animated films have had a great selection of villains, with the vast majority coming from Disney, which is unsurprising, since the studio has contributed to the vast majority of animated films over the years. However, other companies have created baddies that are just as good as the best from Disney, and it’s high time we start to celebrate them.

10

Jenner (Paul Shenar) – ‘The Secret of NIMH’ (1982)

Image via MGM

As one of several rats and mice experimented on by the National Institute of Mental Health, Jenner (Paul Shenar) obtained advanced intelligence, and escaped with the others to establish a colony underneath a farmer’s rosebush. As the rats made advancements in science that bordered on magical, they needed to steal more and more electricity from the farmers, so their leader, Nicodemus (Sir Derek Jacobi), began preparations for the rats to migrate to Thorn Valley and make a new home. However, Jenner saw no reason to leave and voiced his opposition to the plan, while also waiting for the right opportunity to kill Nicodemus and seize control.

Jenner only appears in under 10 minutes of The Secret of NIMH, but he leaves a very strong impression thanks to his design, Shenar’s fantastic delivery, and for what he represents. Initially, Jenner serves as the conservative voice of opposition who wants to keep to the old ways, and has more than enough charisma to mask his true intentions as deep passion for his beliefs. However, the fact that he is willing to resort to underhanded murder shows that, while their enhanced intelligence allows the rats to create many wonders, it also leaves them susceptible to vices like pride, ambition, and greed.

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General Woundwort (Harry Andrews) – ‘Watership Down’ (1978)

Image via Cinema International Corporation

You might not think that rabbits could be scary, but General Woundwort (Harry Andrews) manages to make such a cute animal horrific. The tyrannical ruler of the Efrafa warren, Woundwort holds onto power with authoritarianism and fear, battling the leaders of other warrens to the death to add to his ranks, and rewarding loyalty by allowing his followers to rise higher in his hierarchy. However, his need for control results in his warren becoming too overcrowded, which leads several members to risk their lives and try and find a means of escape or a new warren to join.

Woundwort combines the darkest parts of nature and humanity to present Watership Down with an unforgettable antagonist. He’s not entirely heartless towards the rabbits under his rule, but his pride and need for control is so great that he perverts the animal’s natural instincts to survive into totalitarianism and brutality. In combat, Woundwort’s an absolute monster, killing his fellow rabbits with ease and even standing his ground against predators.

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Thrax (Laurence Fishburne) – ‘Osmosis Jones’ (2001)

Image via Warner Bros.

When zookeeper Frank DeTorre (Bill Murrey) eats a hard-boiled egg spat out by a chimpanzee, he brings a large host of germs and viruses into his body, including Thrax (Laurence Fishburne). With his elongated talon on his left hand, Thrax can ignite any cell he touches, and quickly makes his way through Frank’s body in order to sabotage the hypothalamus and cause him to overheat. His ultimate plan is to kill Frank within 24 hours before moving on to a new human to get his own chapter in the medical books.

Osmosis Jones suffered due to the live-action segments, but the animated ones are well praised, and Thrax is a big reason for it. Not only does he have a slick design that oozes confidence and power, but he has the personality to boot, presenting himself as a suave and charismatic villain, helped by Fishburne’s deliciously wicked performance. However, beneath this debonair mask lies a cunning predator who delights in the process of building up to his next kill, and won’t hesitate to incinerate anyone in his way.

7

Grigori Rasputin (Christopher Lloyd) – ‘Anastasia’ (1997)

Image via 20th Century Studios

Once the advisor to Tsar Nicolas II (Rick Jones) of the Russian Empire, Grigori Rasputin (Christopher Lloyd) was exposed as a power-hungry charlatan and banished, leading to him selling his soul to dark powers in exchange for a magic reliquary. He used it to curse the Romanov family, who were toppled from power during the Russian Revolution, while Rasputin drowned trying to kill the youngest daughter, Anastasia (Meg Ryan). The reliquary kept his soul alive in limbo, and when his bat minion, Bartok (Hank Azaria), found Anastia as a young amnesiac woman, Rasputin swore to kill the last of the Romanovs personally.

Anastasia takes a lot of liberties in transforming Russian history into a fairy tale romance, and the changes to Rasputin are among the best. He’s basically a lich—a powerful undead sorcerer whose soul is tied to a magic artifact—allowing the movie to have fun playing around with his undead nature through physical comedy, and genuine moments of horror. Lloyd’s voice work is also impeccable, especially in the scenes where Rasputin unleashes his dark magic and truly lives up to the title of the Mad Monk.

6

King Haggard (Christopher Lee) – ‘The Last Unicorn’ (1982)

Image via ITV Studios Global Entertainment

In a crumbling castle by the sea lives King Haggard (Sir Christopher Lee). Despite ruling over a kingdom, he is cursed with a melancholy so deep that he practically lives alone in his castle aside from the most minimal of staff and his adopted son, Prince Lir (Jeff Bridges). The only thing that brought him any joy were unicorns, so he sent forth his demonic red bull to round them up and drive them into the waves beneath his castle so that he could look upon them whenever he wished.

Though The Last Unicorn is a modern fairy tale, author Peter S. Beagle, who wrote the film script, understands his genre well enough to write King Haggard with Shakespearean levels of tragedy. Haggard’s intense depression that sees him live in empty halls and rule over a barren wasteland would be pitiable, except that, by stealing the unicorns to bring himself joy, he deprives the world of something beautiful and pure and cares nothing for the consequences. Lee, as expected, gives a stellar performance full of power and gravitas, and even voiced Haggard in the German dub.

5

The Beldam (Teri Hatcher) – ‘Coraline’ (2009)

Image via Focus Features

Also known as the Other Mother, the Beldam (Teri Hatcher) is a spider-like monster who lives in a pocket dimension and spies on our world using animated puppets. Once she finds a miserable child, she lures them into her world, which is altered to cater to their every whim, and offers to let them stay if she can sew black buttons onto their eyes. Once the child accepts, they become trapped in her world, their lives sacrificed to sustain the Beldam, and their souls left as her eternal prisoners.

The Beldam is a horrific antagonist that helped Coraline earn its spot as one of the darkest animated films for kids. Though exaggerated for the fantastical setting, her methods are terrifying thanks to how close to home they are: she lures kids with false love, gifts, and attention, but once she gets what she wants, she disposes of them and moves on to the next victim. Fittingly, her true self is spider-like with needle-like fingers and a skeletal body, which represents everything from the webs she spins to trap her prey to the hollow promises she offers.

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Fairy Godmother (Jennifer Saunders) – ‘Shrek 2’ (2004)

Image via DreamWorks Pictures

To wed the human princess, Lillian (Dame Julie Andrews), a fog named Harold (John Cleese) makes a deal with the Fairy Godmother (Jennifer Saunders) to become a prince in exchange for his future daughter marrying her son, Prince Charming (Rupert Everett). Thus, the Fairy Godmother is not happy to learn that Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) has instead been rescued from her dragon-guarded tower by an ogre named Shrek (Mike Myers), and that she is now permanently an ogre. She blackmails Harold into trying to have Shrek killed, but later realizes she can manipulate Shrek’s insecurities to get what she wants.

Shrek 2 is one of those rare sequels that surpasses the original movie, and Fairy Godmother is the perfect villain to continue a franchise known for satirizing fairy tale clichés. Rather than being a kind, matronly figure who rewards kindness and empathy, this Fairy Godmother is a cutthroat businesswoman who treats happily ever afters like a commodity that can be bought and sold, allowing her to dictate who or what gets their fairy tale endings and eliminate anything that doesn’t fit her idea. Then there is Saunders’ performance, which is just perfect; she nails the ruthless and manipulative side of the character, while still managing to get some comedy through moments like her fawning over her son or failing to maintain her diet due to stress.

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Lord Shen (Gary Oldman) – ‘Kung Fu Panda 2’ (2011)

Image via Paramount Pictures

When Lord Shen (Gary Oldman) began experimenting with his family’s fireworks as weapons, his parents asked a Soothsayer (Michelle Yeoh) about his future, and she said Shen would meet his end at the hands of a warrior of black and white. Overhearing the prophecy, Shen decided to prove that he was the master of his fate by massacring a village of pandas, but his parents were horrified by his actions and banished him from Gongmen City. Heartbroken, Shen vowed to reclaim his home city and eventually all of China, and spent the next 20 years building an army of followers and an arsenal of cannons.

Lord Shen is a masterclass in villain writing, and his personal relationship with Po (Jack Black) is the central conflict of Kung Fu Panda 2. He truly is Po’s dark mirror: both of them suffered trauma from loss and battle insecurities, but while Po was able to make peace with his trauma and choses to help others, Shen became bitter and decided to fill the void by taking what he believed he was owed. Yet his interactions with the Soothsayer reveal that beneath his cold, calculated demeanor is a wounded soul who knows that what he is doing is wrong and may even show some remorse, but also believes that he’s too far gone to change and must instead stay the course. Lord Shen is one of the best villains in a martial arts movie, full stop.

2

Yubaba (Suzanne Pleshette) – ‘Spirited Away’ (2001)

Within an abandoned Japanese amusement park is a portal to a village in the spirit world centered around a bathhouse run by the witch Yubaba (Mari Natsuki/Suzanne Pleshette). Due to an ancient promise she made, she accepts anyone who comes to her asking for a job, but as part of the contract, she takes their true names, binding them to her unless they can somehow reclaim them. Yubaba spends most of her days counting her profits, doting on her son Boh (Ryūnosuke Kamiki/Tara Strong), and messing with her good-hearted twin sister, Zaneba (Mari Natsuki/Suzanne Pleshette).

Like most things in Spirited Away, every detail about Yubaba is meticulously chosen for its symbolism. She initially represents greed and decadence with her obsession with profit and the iron grip she has over her staff, but when paired up with her sister, she becomes a dichotomy of the human spirit, representing the negative aspects. Yet Yubaba is not entirely evil: she deeply loves her son to the point of flying into a fiery rage if he’s threatened, always keeps her word, and even shows begrudging respect to those who do a good job or even manage to beat her at her own game.

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Rameses II (Ralph Fiennes) – ‘The Prince of Egypt’ (1998)

Image via DreamWorks Animation

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As the heir of Pharaoh Seti I (Sir Patrick Steward), Rameses (Ralph Fienns) has the incredible burden of one day taking over the Egyptian Empire and the legacy of upholding his family dynasty. He is supported in his youth by his adopted brother, Moses (Val Kilmer), until Moses learns the truth of his origins and runs off into the desert after killing an Egyptian taskmaster. Thus, when Rameses takes the throne after Seti’s death, he becomes committed to upholding his family legacy, even when Moses returns to ask Rameses to free the Hebrew slaves of Egypt.

The Prince of Egypt is one of the most epic animated movies of all time. Logically, Rameses is a fittingly epic villain because the writers emphasize his inner turmoil between his insecurities about breaking his dynastic chain and his love for Moses and the life they used to have. And, like any great villain, Rameses’ attempts to show strength and maintain his power doom him, all of which is captured through the phenomenal facial animation and Fiennes’ stellar performance.

By Robert Scucci
| Updated 22 seconds ago

Everybody copes with grief differently, and most of us don’t even know how to handle and process it until it’s already knocking on our doors. Some people lose themselves in their work, or a passion project, and some people seek therapy. Some people do all of these things. Benny (Barak Hardley), the protagonist in 2018’s Spell, copes with the loss of his fiancé Jess (Jackie Tohn) by taking a solo, soul-searching trip to Iceland, where he finds out he might actually be a pawn in a supernatural game that will either solve his problems or make him wish he never left the United States.

The film is a compelling yet oddball exploration of grief, self-medicating, and searching for greater meaning after your life as you know it has been turned completely upside down. It’s also a hilarious sequence of events thanks to Barak Hardley’s commitment to the role and his character’s various quirks and idiosyncrasies.

That Escalated Quickly

When Spell first introduces us to Benny, he’s a total mess. He’s arriving at an Icelandic airport, and we’re immediately clued into his compulsive behavior. While I’m partial to counting stairs and making sure both my eyes blink an equal number of times so neither of them feels left out, Benny likes to lick shiny metal surfaces like door handles, water taps, and, in one case, a phallic art installation at one of the local museums. To make matters worse, he’s out of meds, dealing with the stress of a new location, and unable to immediately reach his doctor to get a new prescription filled overseas.

Oh yeah, and the grief that brought us here in the first place. Three months before the events depicted in Spell, Benny’s fiancé drowned in their pool while he wasn’t around, and he’s still unpacking that trauma.

He copes by having a one-night stand with Inga (Birna Rún Eiríksdóttir), who encourages him to get a tattoo of a symbol he doesn’t yet understand, but soon will. He wakes up the next day not knowing where Inga ran off to after stealing from him, and he soon connects with a tour guide named Steindor (Magnus Jonsson), who takes him hiking, talks about supernatural entities and ancient mythology, and hints at the fact that Benny is some sort of “chosen one.”

From this point forward, I really can’t go deeper into the film’s plot without revealing major spoilers, and this is one you’ll want to see for yourself. But you’ll want to stick around because there are visions, naked hot spring melees, boozy camping conversations, and the fact that you can never quite tell what’s actually happening to Benny and what’s simply a manifestation of his grief, compulsions, and lack of medication.

Barak Hardley Is A Perfect Lead

Though I can’t presently speak to Barak Hardley’s other work, he’s an absolute treasure in Spell. Benny is a complex character with personal hangups, recent traumas, and the endless intrusive thoughts that somebody with OCD has to deal with, all while navigating an unfamiliar landscape where everybody seems to be screwing with him on not only a human level, but a spiritual one.

He’s rightfully wary for all of these reasons, but whenever pressed, no matter how gently, he simply says “screw it” and does pretty much whatever he’s told. Since Jess’ death, which prompted him to go on this trip in the first place, he’s got nothing to lose and figures his life can’t get any worse, so he just goes along with everything that’s thrown at him.

Benny’s search for fulfillment and meaning doesn’t leave him with any easy answers, but his journey isn’t necessarily linear either. Grief comes and goes, and he’s just going through the motions while trying to unpack his demons in the most unconventional way possible. The question that remains is whether he finds the answers he’s looking for.

As of this writing, you can stream Spell for free on Tubi.

From the moment Tracker premiered, Colter Shaw’s (Justin Hartley) biggest unsolved case was his father. For years, Colter lived with questions that fractured his family, poisoned his relationship with his brother Russell (Jensen Ackles), and left him wondering whether the man who raised him had simply lost his grip on reality.

What began as a seemingly straightforward mystery surrounding Ashton Shaw’s (Lee Tergesen) death slowly evolved into something far more complicated, with each new revelation forcing Colter to reconsider everything he thought he knew. Season 3 finally delivered many of the answers fans had been waiting for, but that’s precisely why the story still hits like a punch to the gut. The truth proved that some wounds never fully disappear and merely become easier to understand.

The Shaw Family Mystery Was Never Really About Who Killed Ashton

Image via Sergei Bachlakov / ©CBS / Courtesy Everett Collection

When Tracker began, Colter carried a burden that had defined much of his life. He believed his older brother Russell had killed their father during a confrontation in the woods. His mother, Mary (Wendy Crewson), did little to challenge that belief, and the siblings’ fractured relationship only deepened over time. However, as the series progressed, that simple explanation began to crumble as Russell insisted he was innocent, new evidence emerged, hidden journals surfaced, and long-buried secrets involving Ashton’s research and mysterious figures from his past slowly transformed what appeared to be a tragic family story into something much stranger.

What made the mystery so compelling was the damage those unanswered questions inflicted on the Shaw family. Mary kept secrets, Dory (Melissa Roxburgh) withheld information, Russell carried years of guilt and resentment, and Colter spent decades convinced he understood what had happened when, in reality, almost everyone around him had been protecting pieces of the truth. By the time Season 3 arrived, Tracker had made one thing clear: the biggest victim of all those secrets was the family Ashton left behind.

Season 3 Changed Everything Colter Believed About His Father

Image via CBS

Season 3 finally pulled back the curtain on Ashton’s work and the paranoia that defined his final years. What Colter had once dismissed as the unraveling of a troubled man turned out to be rooted in something tangible. Ashton wasn’t imagining enemies; rather, he had become entangled in dangerous government-backed research and spent his final years trying to stop experiments he believed had crossed an unforgivable line.

For years, Ashton existed in Colter’s memories as a contradiction, for he was the man who taught him to survive, but also the man whose behavior terrified his family. The deeper Colter dug, the more difficult it became to separate the loving father from the obsessive, paranoid figure his mother remembered. Season 3 refused to simplify that contradiction. Ashton wasn’t transformed into a saint, nor was he reduced to a madman; instead, Tracker embraced something far more complicated. Ashton was flawed, made mistakes, and hurt people he loved, but he was also trying to stop something he believed was wrong.

The Truth Brought Colter Peace, But Not Closure

Image via CBS

Perhaps the most powerful moment in the entire storyline comes near the end of Season 3, when Colter admits that he may not have found every answer, but he finally knows his father was trying to do the right thing, though it’s clear he didn’t exactly get the closure he sought. It goes to show that sometimes peace comes not from learning enough to understand motivations, at the very least.

There are still unanswered questions, however. Season 3 leaves the door wide open for more revelations, and Russell’s final scenes suggest the Shaw family secrets are far from finished. Yet something fundamental has changed, as Colter no longer seems trapped by the past as he once was. The mystery still hits like a punch to the gut two years later because, beneath the government conspiracies and secret programs, Tracker told a deeply human story about grief. Colter was searching for his father, at the end of it all, and after years of doubt, anger, and heartbreak, the answer he found was understanding, which was probably more than he expected.

Bold and the Beautiful delivers financial concerns cropping up over at Forrester Creations. Remember Ridge Forrester (Thorsten Kaye) was just mentioning when talking to Carter Walton (Lawrence Saint-Victor) about how much the new couture line cost and justifying it. Meanwhile, over at Logan, Bill Spencer (Don Diamont) is focusing on quality materials, but not at the risk of the bottom line.

We’re going to talk about how this new couture collection may cause financial problems at Forrester Creations. And if so, I suspect Bill is going to be absolutely gleeful to see Ridge suffer.

Bold and the Beautiful: The Cost of Eric’s Couture Line

Let’s dive in. So, this week it was actually Carter Walton who warned both Ridge and Eric Forrester (John McCook) that this upcoming couture line they’re about to launch is going to be the most expensive collection in Forrester Creations history. And Ridge said you can’t put a price on showcasing Eric’s genius. Except yeah, you can put a price on it. Literally, they have been dropping hints about this on Bold for a while. If you remember when Eric was over working with Katie and Bill, they had a debate with Eric over materials. Bill wanted to source high-quality materials that were luxurious but were not needlessly and insanely expensive.

But Eric pushed back and he was complaining about not being able to use the same suppliers that Forrester Creations had because they were keeping his line at Katie’s new fashion house under wraps. And as it turned out, the designs were well-received. They sold through the roof and Bill and Katie made bank. And now, of course, we’ve got Ridge heavily investing in Eric maybe overinvesting. I said this the other day, and it bears repeating. Logan is living rent-free in Ridge, Steffy Forrester’s (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood), and Brooke Logan’s (Katherine Kelly Lang) heads. Eric’s head, too. I don’t know why they’re all so threatened by Logan when Forrester is legendary. And now they are burning through cash trying to teach them a lesson.

Bold and Beautiful fans Not Impressed

And honestly, a lot of Bold and the Beautiful fans that I’ve seen comments from on soap social media think the designs Eric did for Logan were better. I agree. And I think this is storyline intentional. The gowns he designed for Forrester seemed kind of meh. You know, classy, but not particularly impressive or unique or inspired, and that seems very intentional. Ridge raved about the design. So did RJ Forrester (Brayan Nicoletti) and Zende Forrester (Delon de Metz). But that doesn’t mean the public is going to agree.

Eric’s Lost Passion and Financial Risk on B&B

So, Carter was warning about the cost and if Eric’s line doesn’t sell out, this could be an epic financial fail for the Foresters. Ridge spending so much could put the bottom line in jeopardy. And if I had to come up with a word for what I’ve seen of Eric’s new line or what you know we’ve seen so far, I’m going to call it uninspired, maybe forced. If you remember after Ridge fired him, Eric was down in the dumps because he had all these fantastic designs on paper and in his head, but nowhere to produce them. And then when Katie Logan (Heather Tom) accepted Eric’s very insistent offer that he be her lead designer, we saw him passionate and he was really enthusiastic working at Logan.

Eric was so excited that in the end he worked himself to the bone and collapsed. I don’t think that was Katie and Bill’s fault. They didn’t want Eric exhausted, but he was just so excited. He even said the designs he made for Katie at the time were the best of his career. And Eric had something to prove. He said he wanted to rub it in Brooke and Ridge’s faces to respect your elders. So, Eric had both anger and passion driving his work at Logan.

Eric’s Passion Fizzling Out on Bold and the Beautiful

Then, coming back over to Forrester Creations, there’s this whole other vibe. Ridge had kicked Eric out of his own company and then Ridge backtracked, but Eric’s feelings were hurt. Plus, he felt guilty about going to Logan, even though honestly it was Ridge’s fault 100% that he ever went there. So, this collection Eric’s done for Forrester I feel like was driven by guilt.

And carried out under a lot of pressure and expectations because Ridge made it clear they had to outdo and overshadow the work Eric did at Logan, the work he said was his best. So, that’s a lot. Ridge, of course, is happy to have his dad back, but I haven’t seen Eric quite as inspired. I’ve seen him more tense. And there’s a lot of motive behind this line that’s not strictly driven by creativity, which should be the whole driving force behind fashion design.

Bold and the Beautiful: Logan’s Bottom Line Advantage

Eric hasn’t mentioned Ridge forcibly retiring him, but that has to still bother Eric. Meanwhile, over at Logan, it feels like there’s more of a balance between creativity and cost-consciousness. Bill’s not aiming to make cheap stuff by any means. This is not, you know, discount fashion. He just doesn’t want Katie, you know, embarrassed. But also, Bill’s savvy enough to know that a company’s got to make a profit. So, like this week when we saw Deacon Sharpe (Sean Kanan) come in with the new design while Hope Logan (Annika Noelle) was gone, and Bill and Katie looked at it, they liked it, but then Bill asked, “Is it going to be cost-effective to produce?” And Deacon assured Bill that it would be that all the designs are.

So, it feels like there’s a more bottom-line focus at Logan than Forrester Creations. And we know that it seems like Hope is waffling on putting out her new line over at Logan because of her guilt over how Brooke’s going to react. But in the end, I just don’t think Hope is going to walk away from Logan because when Brooke storms over to rant at Katie soon, looks like early next week. Hope is still there. It’s a different day, different outfit. She’s hiding from her mom. And I do think the new Hope Logan line that she made with Deke Sharpe (Harrison Cone) is going to be a big hit for Logan. And unfortunately, the new Eric couture line at Forrester may not be a smash hit.

Bold and the Beautiful: Financial Troubles Ahead for Forrester

They may barely cover the cost of production or Carter may have to tell them they lost money on the line. There’s just so much smug talk from Steffy and Ridge about Logan circling the drain and Katie being a failure who’s going to eventually skulk back over to Forrester Creations. I guess they want to see her begging for her old PR job back. So, I feel like it’s foreshadowing that the opposite may happen. I think Logan could have another hit. And I don’t think Eric’s line is going to flop, but maybe it just won’t do as well as they need.

And while Bill may be able to report record earnings, we could see Carter having to tell Ridge, “Oh, whoops. We’re in money trouble.” Then I guess we’ll see how smug Ridge and Steffy are. And I’m sure they would blame Katie if it happens. Blame her and accuse her of stealing Eric, which she didn’t, and blame her for stealing Hope, which she kind of did.

Hope Unhappy at Forrester on Bold and the Beautiful

But Katie couldn’t have recruited Hope if she hadn’t been kicked around so much by Steffy. It’s like that thing about how you can’t steal somebody when they cheat if the marriage wasn’t broken. You know, maybe kind of the same sort of vibe. But once again, this is back to how people are treated by Ridge and Steffy. Maybe Forrester can sue Logan for damages since Hope is very much still their employee. And she was lying about a leave of absence so that she could sneak over to work secretly at Katie’s company.

And of course, if they sued for damages, that might help refill Ridge’s coffers over at Forrester. However, I will say Bold doesn’t usually do litigious storylines. So that may not happen even though technically it would be legally possible. But with Carter over at Forrester and Bill over at Logan this week both talking about the bottom line, I smell trouble in the wind. I don’t think it’s for nothing. I think it’s a huge red flag that Ridge is about to see Forrester in deep financial trouble. And of course, you know, that would make Bill totally giddy.

Young and the Restless spoilers for next week thrill when July sweeps kicks off, including Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman) taking a big risk and Victoria Newman (Amelia Heinle) is terrified after her mom gets an absolutely horrifying medical diagnosis that could actually be fatal.

We’ve got the latest Y&R spoilers for the week of June 22nd, including Matt Clark (Roger Howarth) taking a big step that we honestly expected was coming and Billy Abbott (Jason Thompson) warns somebody.

Young and the Restless: Matt Clark’s Clumsy Scheme

And now, let’s get right to it. First, let’s talk about Matt Clark. So, at the end of this week, Phyllis Summers (Michelle Stafford) overhears Matt talking to Cane Ashby (Billy Flynn), and he’s asking Matt why he is fanboying all over him. And of course, we know it is because Victor Newman (Eric Braeden) ordered Matt to get really close to Cane. And that way, he can feed Victor info that he can use to destroy Cane. But so far, honestly, Matt’s not doing a great job because he’s not being subtle at all. And Cane already guesses that Victor is somehow involved. And Cane is demanding to know what is his agenda.

But Matt persists. He keeps working on Cane. And then Matt lies and says he worked on Adam Newman’s (Mark Grossman) mom’s farm in Kansas. Cane doesn’t buy that Matt’s a horse guy. Obviously, Victor has fed Matt a bunch of info and backstory because then he tells Cane that his dad got sick and he took care of him until he died, which is super sneaky because Victor knows Cane went through the same thing with his dad, Colin Atkinson (Tristan Rogers). And then Matt claims that he somehow heard how Cane was with his dad, Colin, near the end of his life. And Matt’s talking about how that moved him. This is all just Victor being so horrible.

Cane Blasts Matt on Y&R

But then Cane calls BS on everything that Matt is saying to him. He’s not a fool and he tries claiming that he just wanted to talk to him because he needs advice from Cane. So, while this was going on, Phyllis Summers is eavesdropping. And then she butts into Matt and Cane’s conversation and Phyllis asks what they’re doing together. Matt says that Adam introduced him to Cane. And Cane thinks that’s awfully convenient. Then Matt tells Cane he met Phyllis at the GCAC. That’s the point Cane decides this is all way too suspicious and he walks out.

Young and the Restless: Phyllis Warns Matt and a Potential Romance

After he goes, Phyllis asks Matt what is he doing? And she tells him that Victor asks her not to rat him out. She’s not going to. But Phyllis is warning Matt that Cane is already suspicious and Phyllis is afraid this is all going to come back to bite Matt. We know Phyllis feels protective of Matt because he saved Nick Newman’s (Joshua Morrow) life and Phyllis thinks Matt is a hero and she tells him.

And he tells Phyllis that he just wants to make up for all the bad things he’s done. But Phyllis warns him that Victor’s taking advantage of him and will stab him in the back. But Matt reminds Phyllis that she was also manipulating him. And she circles back around and tells Matt, “Look, I know that you’re not a psycho anymore.” And Phyllis again is warning Matt to watch his back with Victor.

Young and the Restless: Matt & Phyllis May Heat Up

We recently did a video about some couple swaps and new couples forming. And it looks like one of the new pairs that we predicted could actually be kicking off next week because Phyllis is with Matt over at the GCAC. Then things get a little bizarre as he tells Phyllis, “Once upon a time there was a man who had no memory.” And then Matt says, “And he met a woman and he asked her out on a date.” So yeah, Matt’s being weird, but he is asking Phyllis out on a date. That is definite. So, we’ll see.

You know, Phyllis hesitates, but even if she says no the first time that Matt asks, I think that Phyllis will cave and will go out with Matt soon. But on the other hand, Phyllis might just go ahead and say yes the very first time that Matt asks. This romance, of course, is going to shock Genoa City. And honestly, it’s just ick to think about Phyllis dating Sharon Newman’s (Sharon Case) rapist. Just so much ick.

Young and the Restless: Jack’s Plan to Find Diane

Also, this past week, we had Jack Abbott worried sick because Patty Williams (Stacy Haiduk) has done something bad to Diane Jenkins Abbott (Susan Walters) and she’s stuck in Dr. Markham’s (Jere Burns) house. So, this is our next topic. Jack keeps asking Patty to put him in contact with Diane’s psychiatrist, but Patty keeps putting him off. And now it looks like Jack doubts that Patty’s being honest about another doctor being involved. And Jack may suspect that her shrink Dr. Markham is the one who is holding Diane, which is accurate. So hopefully since this is moving along, they’re not going to drag this messiness out too long. I expect Jack to find Diane during July sweeps that kicks off on Thursday, June 25th.

So, next week, Jack is telling Billy about this, catching him up and saying what he needs to do is lure the doctor away from his house. But Billy’s worried and claps back at Jack. What happens when the doctor gets suspicious? So, it sounds almost like Jack wants to get Billy to lure the doctor away so that Jack can go in there. Or maybe he’s going to lure him and Billy goes in there to see if Diane’s there. So, it’s interesting.

Young and Restless: Nikki’s Terrifying Diagnosis

And last but not least, we’re going to talk about Nikki Newman’s (Melody Thomas Scott) terrifying diagnosis. So, at the end of this week, Victoria is really worried about Nikki. She told her the headaches were getting worse and that she had a vision issue. And then Victoria turns around and tells Claire Grace Newman (Hayley Erin) that she’s really worried. And Victoria says she is particularly worried about this stress that Nikki’s under. Her mom also doesn’t have her best friend Jack to lean on because of all the stuff he’s dealing with in his life.

And when Claire asks if they maybe should try to push Nikki and Victor to reconcile, Victoria says, “No, we just can’t interfere.” And says that Nikki and Victor have been through rough times before. They’ve split before, but this breakup is hitting Nikki very hard. Claire asks if there’s more to it. And finally, Victoria opens up and tells Claire about Nikki’s headaches.

And Victoria thinks it’s maybe more than just stress that’s affecting her mom. She brings up Nikki’s alcoholism, which is ironic since Claire pushed her grandma off the wagon. Victoria is also worried about her mom’s multiple sclerosis. And she says that all these health concerns of Nikki are always playing in the back of Victoria’s mind.

Young and the Restless: Victoria Struggling with Her Trauma & Grief

And Claire’s worried that Victoria is being all doom and gloom about Nikki because Cole Howard (J. Eddie Peck) came up and died unexpectedly. And Victoria admits Claire’s probably right. She’s worried that she might lose Nikki as well. So that brings us to what happens next week with Victoria and her mom. We’re not going to have to wait long because on Monday, Nikki gets her diagnosis.

And it sounds extremely dangerous, potentially fatal, if it’s not treated promptly. Once she finds out, she confides in Victoria, who’s going to tell Nikki that we’re going to do everything we can to fix it. And Victoria’s mom is crying, saying this can’t be happening. We know it’s very serious and Nikki is debating not telling Victor about her diagnosis at all, but Victoria might actually spill to her dad.

We’ll see. Be sure to come back tomorrow for our complete weekly spoilers video for the week of June 22nd, including lots more good stuff for sweeps, plus our weekly predictions, two spoilers, casting news, and so much more.

By Jonathan Klotz
| Published 7 seconds ago

The best part of the early days of the internet was logging in, and finding people like you with the same interests. America Online, Prodigy, Compuserve, all had incredibly active forums devoted to everything from roleplaying a Moogle from Final Fantasy, to talking about Star Trek: The Next Generation. It was on a fan message board where J. Michael Straczynski went for help during the production of Babylon 5’s first season when he needed some names. In return, he snuck in a subtle tribute to the fan who helped him out. 

Asking The Fans For Help

JMS was a part of the Science Fiction Round Table on GEnie, the online service that predates the rollout of “www,” long before he brought Babylon 5 to life. Accessing the GEnie service required a specific modem setting, dialing into the service, and then entering a specific prompt once connected. We used to have to jump through hoops to talk to complete strangers about how annoying Wesley Crusher was. 

After Warner Bros. legal team denied some names during the production of the first season, JMS took to GEnie for new names. One user, who would go on to tell the story on Reddit multiple times over the years, said he looked down at his desk and saw a disc for Quantum Link sitting there, and played around with Quantum as the element that powered jumpgates. Season 1 Episode 6, “Mind War,” is the first time that the element  “Quantum-40” is mentioned by name. 

JMS Said Thanks In The Best Way

In “Parliament of Dreams,” Sinclair (Michael O’Hare) takes his on-again off-again love interest Catherine to Fresh Air, where the Maitre’d takes them to their table, and says that “David will be your waiter tonight.” That’s the real name of the user who named Quantum-40, and when he asked JMS if it was a coincidence, the coy answer he received from the Babylon 5 creator was: “Freud says there’s no coincidences.” 

Babylon 5 isn’t the first show to pay tribute to a fan, and it won’t be the last. It was one of the first where the creator would directly talk to fans. Trek: The Next Generation, The X-Files, and Babylon 5 were among the first shows that reached new levels of success thanks to their online popularity. The “virtual town square,” as most print media referred to online forums at the time, was a new frontier allowing sci-fi fans thousands of miles apart to connect over shared interests. 

Babylon 5 Fandom Is Over 30 Years Old And Still Going Strong

Today it’s easy to talk to actors on social media, Wil Wheaton is especially active, as is Stargate Universe’s David Blue, Battlestar Galactica’s Katee Sackhoff and Tricia Helfer, and countless others. It’s both a good thing, as it’s fun to see what your favorite stars are up to, and they often will post behind the scenes from their projects, but also a bad thing because what if, well, your favorite star is a jerk? 

The Babylon 5 fandom has had its up and downs over the years. It’s grown and evolved alongside the internet, enduring disappointments (Crusade) and a comeback (Babylon 5: The Road Home), while keeping the flame lit for any news of a revival or a legacy series.